Wine is one of the most complex drinks on the planet — there’s so much of it in all styles, colors and flavors. It’s easy to see why people come together, not just to drink wine but to taste it.
Organizing a wine tasting at your house is an enjoyable undertaking you’ll want to repeat, especially if you do it right. And by right, we mean putting together a good food & wine-tasting party where you and your guests have a good time while learning something new. Here’s how to host a wine tasting at home.
Why Host a Wine Tasting Party
Wine is as enjoyable as it is complex. Unlike other alcoholic drinks, wine is incredibly varied — no two bottles are alike. And it’s this journey of discovery that keeps wine enthusiasts worldwide excited.
Tasting wine is a sure way to have a good time with friends and family, but it is also a learning opportunity. Tasting wine is a skill; therefore, you get better at it! Hosting a wine tasting at home results in a relaxed environment without pressure — even inexperienced wine drinkers will feel comfortable exploring wine styles, exciting regions and interesting wine grapes.
Whether you’re looking for new ways to keep your get-togethers interesting or to share your passion for wine with those close to you, at-home wine tasting is for you.
What You’ll Need
Wine tastings can take many shapes, as the number of guests and other factors, such as the wine served, the food and even the weather, will make the experience unique. However, all wine tastings have a few things in common. This is what you need to put together a successful wine tasting at home.
Glassware
Have enough wine glasses for your guests. Ideally, a different one for every wine served. Although wine glasses come in all sizes and shapes, standard or “universal” wine glasses work best at wine tastings.
Tools
Bottle openers, decanters, ice buckets and other tools, such as a Coravin wine-by-the-glass system, will not only make your wine experience run smoother, but they will also make the tasting more professional.
Here are a few tips on creating the ultimate in-home wine bar.
Tasting mats
You will also need tasting mats, ideal for taking notes and keeping track of the wines tasted. This is a learning experience, so encourage your guests to write down their impressions of every wine. Do you want to know more about how to use a wine-tasting mat? Here’s a helpful link.
How to Choose the Right Wines for a Tasting Party
And then there’s the wine, of course. Choosing the right wine for a tasting is critical. How to choose?
The right wine for a wine tasting depends on several factors, mainly your guests’ experience and your chosen theme. Regarding the experience, it’s best to taste moderately priced wines when just getting started and taste finer examples as you hone your tasting skills.
The theme, though, is a bit more complicated. After all, there are hundreds of wines, and tasting the right ones gives purpose to the event.
Choose a Theme
Compare grapes. A common theme in home wine-tasting parties is tasting wines made with different grapes. This is an easy way to understand what each varietal is all about.
Compare regions
You can also assess wines made with the same grape but from different regions or countries — the “terroir” significantly influences how the wine tastes.
Compare vintages
Tasting the exact wine from different vintages truly shows how age affects wine. You can also compare the impact of weather on the wine during the growing season in different years.
Compare oaked vs. Un-oaked
This exercise is fascinating when tasting white wine, as the oak versions are richer than their un-oaked counterparts. Why not taste wines influenced by different types of oak as well.
Compare wine styles
Tasting different wine styles side by side can also be exciting. For example, tasting Brut sparkling wine versus sweeter examples.
Hint: If you’re planning a Sparkling wine tasting, you can open multiple bottles and keep the fizz intact with the Coravin Sparkling device.
We have more information about setting up comparative tastings here!
Wine Service for Tasting Parties
Once you have the right tools for the job, let’s discuss the preparation and the actual wine service for a successful wine-tasting party.
Temperature. Ensure the wine is at the right temperature, roughly 4-10°C for white wines and 10-16°C for reds, depending on the style. You want to keep the white wine in the fridge or an ice bucket and the reds at a cool room temperature.
Decanting and aerating. Decanting red (and sometimes white) wine is ideal when dealing with concentrated, age-worthy wines. However, you can also use an aerator to “wake up” the wine. The Coravin Pivot and Timeless devices include an aerator that equates to decanting wine for 60-90 minutes.
Elevate Your Guests’ Experience with Coravin Systems
It’s no secret that Coravin systems changed the way we enjoy wine. The innovative technology behind each model has made pouring wine without waste easier than ever, extending the shelf-lives of our favorite bottles.
The Coravin Timeless System uses a surgical needle to insert pure argon gas into a closed bottle, allowing you to pour wine through the system without pulling the cork. Enjoy the same bottle for months or years with zero waste.
The Coravin Pivot System, on the other hand, deals with opened bottles of wine, preserving it for up to four weeks. Ideal for organizing weekly wine tastings.
Finally, if you’re pouring sparkling wine, the Coravin Sparkling system inserts CO2 into opened bottles of Champagne, Prosecco, Cava or Sparkling Wine, ensuring no carbonation is lost and protecting the wine from oxidation.
How About the Food?
Wine tastings and wine dinner parties are different types of events; the fundamental difference is their focus. Wine dinner parties revolve around a multi-course dinner, often paired with distinct wines. On the other hand, wine tastings are more about assessing wine and not all that much about the food.
So, what to serve at a wine-tasting party? Although nothing stops you from serving dinner at your at-home wine-tasting party, this type of event most commonly relies on palate-cleansing foods. Think of bread and salt crackers, and perhaps one-bite finger food, ideally to create a separation between the wines tasted or to enhance any given wine.
Of course, cured meat and cheese platters and other goodies, such as olives and preserves, are always welcome at a wine-tasting table. Explore our wine and cheese pairings guide for inspiration.
How to Taste Wine
The wine-tasting method is a sophisticated process perfected throughout the ages, and it’s designed to assess wine with all your senses. The purpose of tasting wine is to determine its profile and, most importantly, to decide whether you like it.
We taste wine with our senses, revealing information at every step. Ultimately, you should have a complete profile of the wine, which can help you determine the right time and place for the style and the food that goes well with it. In other words, tasting wine is a way to get to know different types of wine intimately. These are the steps for tasting wine:
Look
A proper wine tasting starts by inspecting the wine visually. There might be more important steps in the process, but a visual inspection can give you hints about the wine’s personality. Is the wine opaque or translucent? What’s its color?
Looking at the wine is also an opportunity to detect potential flaws — wine should never be cloudy and shouldn’t have effervescence unless intended by the winemaker. Describe the wine’s color, concentration and clarity and take notes. This information and what you gather in the following steps will help you assess the wine’s style and quality.
Smell
Smelling wine during a wine tasting is the most important step, as wine can release dozens of volatile aromatic compounds. Some wines are fruity, while others are earthy; some wines are herbal, and others are downright floral. Every glass of wine is an adventure.
Of course, identifying all these scents takes practice, and we’re all more or less susceptible to different scents. Wine tasting at home with like-minded people is an opportunity to analyze the wine’s bouquet collectively and learn from what others pick up in their glasses. Swirl your wine glass to make the wine more expressive.
Taste
After letting all those scents sink in, it’s time to take a sip. Our palates are wired to detect and assess the wine’s acidity, sweetness and alcoholic strength. You can also evaluate the wine’s overall body, so give it a good swish around your mouth.
As you taste wine, you can also pick up aromas retro-nasally, which can help you confirm scents perceived on the nose and discover new ones. When tasting red wine, note its astringency, also known as tannicity, as only red wines have gritty tannic molecules that cause a drying sensation in your mouth.
Discuss
Now that everyone has assessed the wine, it’s time to share their opinion. Taking notes is important when tasting wine, so ensure everyone has a pen and paper (here’s where tasting mats come in handy.)
You’ll be surprised to discover we all perceive the same wine differently, and it’s in sharing these differences that you can truly learn more about the wine.
Most importantly, encourage your guests to answer the most important question — did you like the wine? After all, we all like different things, and an at-home wine tasting is an excellent opportunity to find your new favorite wine style.
Tips For Hosting In-Home Wine-Tasting Parties
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Fine wine can be expensive, but you don’t need to splurge to host successful in-home wine-tasting parties. There are lovely mid-range wines in all styles from all wine regions. And if you want to taste a nicer bottle, you can always use a Coravin system to make the most of it.
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Hosting a wine tasting at home can be stressful, but remember you’re a guest, too, so plan to ensure you have time to sit with your guests and enjoy the tasting.
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Every food & wine tasting party is different — there are no rules. Keep it simple and insightful. Choose a few wines according to a theme and leave other wine styles and grapes for subsequent parties.
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Have plenty of food and water around, and drink responsibly! Knowing about wine is also about drinking in moderation.
Wine Brings People Together
Wine-tasting parties are more than a good time; they’re an opportunity to share your passion for wine with your loved ones. When done right, an at-home wine-tasting party can be a fantastic learning activity. Wine tasting at home is as fun as it sounds, and, as you now know, it’s easier than you think!
If you enjoyed this content, explore our site to learn more about wine-tasting techniques and discover Coravin’s wine-by-the-glass systems. Make wine tasting an enjoyable activity with friends in the comfort of your home. Cheers!